Temporary nursing shifts going unfilled

More nursing shifts are going unfilled because temporary staff cannot be found in time, figures show.

Last year on average 30.3% of shifts created at short notice went unfilled, up on 27.5% the year before.

Analysis by Nursing Standard showed that in December, 8,800 shifts went unfilled out of 29,500 requests.

But NHS Professionals, which fills temporary posts, welcomed a longer-term trend showing a gradual reduction in demand for such shifts.

NHS Professionals’ Chief Executive Neil Lloyd said: “Forward-looking trusts are beginning to explore strategies to avoid excessive agency use through initiatives such as ‘ghost wards’. This is where the trust predicts an approximate shift demand level based on historical trends and pre-authorises release of those shifts well in advance. Flexible workers who book these shifts are then simply reallocated to the assigned ward or surplus shifts are cancelled on the day.”

In a statement, the organisation said: “According to NHS Professionals data for the period October-December 2010, demand appears to have stabilised at around 9% below for the calendar year compared to 2009, with demand in London down a substantial 21% across the year. In other regions, demand in the North was down by 8% and by 2% in the south. This achievement is to be applauded. NHS Professionals has seen many more trusts willing to engage in initiatives to minimise demand such as deploying second-tier authorisations and enforcing organisation-wide restrictions on expensive agency usage.”